The present invention relates to a microfiche separator and transport apparatus for use with a microfiche duplicating machine. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for separating and transporting a microfiche master from the top of a stack of masters to a platen for further transport of the master to a copying or exposure station of the duplicating machine. Following exposure of the microfiche master for a desired number of copies, the master is transported from the platen to an exit hopper.
Microforms is the general term for various kinds of film carriers having greatly reduced images thereon. Among the various microforms known in the art are aperture cards and microfiche. Aperture cards are business machine type cards having windows therein within which or over which is affixed a film carrying micro images. Microfiche, generally referred to as fiche, of various kinds are known including fiche in the form of a rectangular piece of film provided with a plurality of micro images thereon. Another form comprises a transparent plastic carrier having strips of film affixed thereto or enclosed within the carrier. A standard fiche which has received wide acceptance within the industry is the COSATI microfiche with dimensions of 105 mm by 148 mm.
Apparatus is also known for producing or duplicating fiche made from a single section of film according to COSATI or other specifications from various kinds of fiche masters. One such apparatus, for example, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,708 assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. The apparatus disclosed therein is adapted to duplicate an unlimited number of duplicates of fiche masters.
As disclosed in the foregoing patent, the apparatus provides for feeding of a continuous strip of unexposed film from a roll film feeding station through a copying or exposure station where a fiche master may be placed in juxtaposition with a section of the unexposed film. Following exposure of the desired number of duplicate copies, the roll film is advanced to a developing station for development of the exposed section of the film. After development, the film is advanced to a cutting means and the individual fiche are separated from the continuous strip of film and transported to a collating means or a receiving hopper.
The apparatus of the above patent also comprises a platen upon which the fiche master is positioned by hand and the platen is manually moved to the exposure station into alignment with the unexposed roll film being fed through the machine. Following exposure, the platen is manually moved from the exposure station and the fiche master is removed by hand and replaced with another fiche master for a subsequent operation.